It’s no secret that social media is a pillar of digital marketing. As social media continues to shift and evolve, large corporations and small businesses alike are learning how to adapt their social media strategies and incorporate social branding to stay relevant online. Not only is social media an excellent tool for building awareness, keeping your customers up-to-date, and promoting sales, but it’s also essential for building relationships with your audience.

According to Sprout Social, 68% of consumers agree that social media enables them to interact with brands and companies. Social media is one of the few marketing tools that allows two-way communication between brands and their customers.

So, what role does social media have in brand building? First off, social media isn’t going anywhere, and brands need to have an online presence to attract and retain customers. Secondly, social media is another opportunity for brands to increase their exposure and promote the look and feel of their brand. Here are nine ways that you can step up your business’s social branding game!

Know your target market

What’s the best way to connect with your followers? By knowing exactly who they are! Not only can identifying your target audience help guide social media content, but it’s key to effective marketing in general. Conduct market research to learn the following key metrics about your audience:

• Demographics – Age, gender, location, marital status, income, and other demographic information can help you define your voice and find new customers.
• Buying habits – Knowing where, how, and why customers buy is essential for selling on social media.
• Media channels – What social media platforms does your audience use? This can help you determine where to focus your energy!
• Pain points – What is your customer struggling with and how can you solve their problem with your product or services?

Choose the right platforms

Now that you understand your target market, you should have a better idea of where they’re spending their time online. While it’s tempting to create an account on every social media platform, having a strategy behind where and why you post can help you better reach your audience. To determine which social media platforms your audience uses most, ask yourself these questions:

1. Does the social media platform’s demographics align with those of my target market?
2. Does the social media platform offer services and features that align with my business goals?
3. Can I create engaging content that will attract new followers on this platform?

Once you determine the platforms that you want to use, make sure that you’re tracking the analytics on those pages. Then, if you notice that one social media platform is not performing well, it’s time to adjust your strategy or focus your efforts elsewhere.

Define your brand strategy

Socrates once said, “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom”. Before you start promoting your business, you must first know your brand inside and out! This will help align your branding with your social media messaging. To ensure consistency across all channels, take the time to define your company’s:

• Values – What are the principles that guide your work? Whether you value innovation, female empowerment, excellent communication, or all of the above, make sure that your brand messaging reflects your values.
• Mission – Why do you exist? What is your company’s purpose? Knowing your mission will help guide your social strategy, whether you’re crafting your Instagram bio or announcing a new product launch.
• Voice – How do you communicate with your followers? Are you funny and carefree? Or are you professional and educational? Knowing your voice is essential for social branding!

Muse Group uses all of the above tools to create a social media strategy that will help you grow relationships with your online community!

Use Visuals

High-quality visuals are essential for a healthy social media strategy. It can be the difference between someone scrolling right past your post to stopping dead in their tracks. That’s why all of our social media packages come with branded photo and social media video shoots!

While every social media platform requires different visuals, you should always have the following:

• Brand Colors – Use the colors in your logo to help guide your photography, videography, and graphics. By using at least one brand color in your backdrops, props, and graphic designs, your brand will shine through.
• Logo – Make sure that you’re using your company’s logo as the profile photo on all social media accounts.
• Photography & Videography – Eye-catching photos and videos will help attract new and existing customers.

Develop a content strategy

Now that you know your audience, you’ve identified the best social media channels, and you’ve defined your brand identity, you’re ready to start creating some amazing content! By having a strategy behind your content, you can optimize your resources. Here are a few tips on creating the ultimate social media content strategy!

• Plan and schedule your posts in advance – This will ensure that you have a consistent flow of posts. We recommend using a content calendar!
• Quality over quantity – It’s better to put out one great post a week than a mediocre post every day. Find a schedule that works, and stick to it.
• Focus on creating high-quality content – Posts that are engaging and relevant will resonate with your audience.
• Pick a few topics – Pick four to five topics that will increase engagement, trust, and brand authority.
• Authenticity matters – Your customers want to know that there are real people behind their favorite brands. Organic, well-thought-out content will always resonate with your followers!
• Work smarter, not harder – You don’t need to create unique content for every social media page. Use the same content where you can, and optimize the posts for each social media platform.
• Cross-promote – Marketing success happens when all of your tools are working together! Share newsletter sign-ups, encourage your followers to engage on your other social media platforms, and post links to your website or products on your social media posts.

Engage with your audience

As we said earlier, social media is a two-way street. In fact, it’s one of the few ways that you can engage with your audience on a personal level. Engaging with your followers not only builds trust but can be a valuable way to learn more about their shopping habits and purchasing decisions. Here are just a few ways that you can engage with your followers:

• Respond to their comments and messages in a timely manner. 
• Show your audience that you value their input and feedback.
• Ask your audience why they love your product or services.
• Engage with other companies in your community or industry.

Monitor and measure

Once you have been posting consistently for a few weeks, it’s important to measure the results. First, use analytics tools to track your social media performance and determine which strategies work best for your company. Then, use the data to drive your content decisions and pivot your approach as needed. Here are a few metrics to pay attention to:

• Engagement – How much your audience is interacting with your content.
• Followers – The number of people who have followed or unfollowed your page.
• Reach – The total number of people who see your content.
• Impressions – The number of times your content is displayed.

Collaborate with influencers

Influencer marketing is an excellent way to reach a large audience of people in your target market. It can also expand your reach and build brand credibility! When you’re searching for potential partnerships, make sure that you choose influencers with the following qualifications:

• Niche – Does the influencer specialize in your industry?
• Values –  Do they align with your brand values?
• Followers – Are their followers a good match for your target audience?

Stay up-to-date

Social media is constantly evolving and changing. For that reason, it is important to stay up-to-date on new trends, updates, and best practices to make sure that your brand stays relevant and competitive. At Muse Group, we are constantly researching and re-evaluating our practices to ensure that our clients are standing out in the vast landscape of social media! Here’s how you can stay up-to-date on social media:

• First, set aside 20-30 minutes a week to familiarize yourself with social media platforms and research trending topics.
• Secondly, watch what other businesses in your industry are doing and be on the lookout for patterns and trends. It is also a great idea to follow content creators who share current trends and feature updates on their pages.
• Lastly, podcasts and blogs are great resources for finding social media trends and upgrades!

As you can see, social branding can help you establish your brand, connect with your audience, and increase sales. By implementing these nine tips into your marketing strategy, you can improve your organization’s branding on social media and engage more effectively with your target audience. If you’re looking for a team of digital marketing experts who can help you get started, just reach out to Muse Group to learn more about our services!